No. 2 UNG Holds Five-Shot Lead, Top Two Spots Individually At GSW Invitational
ALBANY, Ga. – The No. 2 University of North Georgia (UNG) men's golf team sits in first place at the GSW Hurricane Invitational after 36 holes of competition on Monday. The Nighthawks hold a five shot lead over the field at 15-under-par as a team.
UNG got off to a great start Monday with a seven-under 281 in the opening round at Doublegate Country Club. In round two, the Nighthawks improved by a stroke with an eight-under 280. After 36 holes, they sit five shots ahead of Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) No. 3 West Florida. In the 15-team field, UNG leads the scoring over seven of the top 25 teams nationally.
The par-72, 7,024-yard track saw Nighthawk senior Ethan Day simply dominate it in round one. Day, who's averaging 69.8 strokes per round through the first six rounds this season, posted a bogey-free, six-under 66 to start play Monday. On the back nine, Day tallied five birdies in a seven hole stretch.
The 66 is Day's second-lowest round this season and already his third round shooting below 70. He ended round one in first place on the individual leaderboard.
Following Day was graduate student Jack Vajda who combated one bogey with four birdies for a three-under 69 in his opener.
Sophomore Colby Bennett was the only other Nighthawk to shoot even par or better in round one as the young gun posted an even 72 for his first 18 holes.
In the second round, Vajda led the way with a three-under 69. After making the turn at one-under, Vajda went bogey free with birdies on holes 12 and 15 to finish three shots below the target line.
Bennett also carded a 69 in round two. Out of the gate he birdied two of his first three holes. He then dropped birdies on three of his last eight holes for his second 69 and third sub-70 round this year.
Day followed up his six-under 66 with a one-under 71 in the second round. Junior Hunter Smith also shot a 71 in the second round after opening with a 74.
After 36 holes, Day sits atop the 81-player field at seven-under. Vajda is only one shot back of his teammate in a three-way tie for second place at six-under. Bennett also resides in the top 10 entering the final round as he's comfortably in ninth place at three-under.
The final round begins Tuesday, Oct. 8 with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m.
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